Mahakama ya Afrika kusini imemkuta na hatiya Rais jacob zuma kujibu mashtaka 783 ya rushwa.soma zaid.

Raisi Zuma wa Afrika amepata pigo baada
ya Mahakama kuu kumtaka ajibu
mashtaka 783 ya rushwa. Awali kesi hiyo
ilikuwa imetupiliwa mbali na mahakama
ya ngazi ya chini 2009.
South Africa's High Court has ruled that a
decision to drop 783 corruption charges
against President Jacob Zuma should be
reviewed.
The charges were dropped just weeks
before the 2009 election which led to Mr
Zuma becoming president.
Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said the decision
by the chief state prosecutor at the time,
Mokotedi Mpshe, was "irrational".
The case, brought by the opposition
Democratic Alliance, opens the way for
prosecutors to reinstate the charges.
Mr Zuma always denied the allegations
which are linked to a government arms
deal in 1999 worth billions of dollars.
Last week, a judge-led commission of
inquiry found no evidence of corruption
or fraud by any government officials at
the time.
"Today is a great victory for the rule of
law and ultimately we believe that Jacob
Zuma must face prosecution and this
judgement certainly affirms the view that
we've always held," Democratic Alliance
leader Mmusi Maimane said after the
ruling.
"I congratulate my colleagues who've
worked exceptionally hard on this case;
it's been a long battle."
This may be the latest in a series of legal
blows to President Jacob Zuma but it is
not yet time to celebrate for the
opposition DA, which brought the case.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
will have to decide if it wants to reinstate
the charges. As the judge ruled the NPA's
prosecution of this case has been heavily
politicised - and it is not clear whether it
will want to take on the president.
Mr Zuma, 74, may be under increasing
pressure from opposition parties to step
down but he is not going without a fight.
In spite of the knock to his public image,
he still has a place in the hearts of many
in South Africa. The ruling ANC secured a
huge victory in the 2014 election - many
of the votes coming from rural South
Africa where these court battles have
little influence and Mr Zuma knows that.
An opposition attempt to impeach him
earlier this month failed because they
simply do not have the numbers. The
president would take note only if voters
rose up against him - local elections later
this year will be the real indication of
whether any ground has shifted. But until
then, he and the ANC see these court
battles as attempts by a few to force him
from power undemocratically.
It was dubbed the "spy tapes" case after
the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
dropped the charges in 2009.
The authority said new phone-tap
evidence suggested political interference
in the investigation.
'Mr Zuma should face the charges'
South Africa's governing African National
Congress (ANC) said the High Court's
ruling did not deal with the merits of any
allegations against the president.
"The ANC has consistently supported the
legal maxim that justice delayed is justice
denied. This matter has dragged on for
close to a decade and the ANC is pleased
therefore that it now appears closer to
resolution, seven years since the NPA
decision," it said in a statement.
What are the spy tapes?
Judge Ledwaba said Mr Mpshe had
"found himself under pressure" when he
decided to discontinue the prosecution
and "consequently made an irrational
decision".
"Considering the situation in which he
found himself, Mr Mpshe ignored the
importance of the oath of office which
commanded him to act independently and
without fear and favour.
"It is thus our view that the envisaged
prosecution against Mr Zuma was not
tainted by the allegations against Mr
McCarthy.
"Mr Zuma should face the charges as
outlined in the indictment."
This is the latest legal setback for the
South African president.
Last month, South Africa's highest court
found that he had breached the
constitution by failing to repay public
money used to upgrade his private home.
It backed an earlier ruling by an anti-
corruption body that said $23m (£15m)
of public money had been improperly
spent on Mr Zuma's rural home in
Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal province.
Controversial arms deal: What you need
to know
South Africa corruption case blow for
Jacob Zuma - BBC News